Topic: Barrels & Oak
Using Barrel Alternatives
Oak barrels aren’t the only way to add oak character to your homebrews. Two experts share their advice for getting the most from barrel alternatives such as spirals, staves, chips, and cubes.
Oak It Up
Barrel aging contributes to the complexity of many of the world’s most sought-after beers. We query four pros in charge of barrel programs of various sizes about creating barrel-aged beers. Each also offers us a clone recipe for one of their barrel-aged offerings.
Fauxlera Barrel Blends
Solera aging requires multiple barrels, with the ones on the bottom being drawn off occasionally and then topped up with beer from the barrels above and new beer being added to the mix at the top. It creates a multi-vintage blend from various batches. Since most hobbyists don’t have multiple barrels to dedicate for such a purpose, one homebrewer offers his is own approach — a fauxlera, if you will.
